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United Kingdom
Summary:
- Simone Biles won the US Gymnastics Championships in Forth Worth, Texas.
- Sunday’s result marks her 9th all-around national title and a new personal record.
- The result shows her domination ahead of next month’s Olympics in Paris.
American artistic gymnast icon Simone Biles finished Sunday’s US Gymnastics Championships held in Forth Worth, Texas with an irrefutable victory via a combined score of 119.750.
She was followed by Skye Blakely in second, Kayla DiCello in third, Suni Lee in fourth place, and Jordan Chiles in fifth.
Biles’ domination over the event brought her a record-extending ninth all-around national title, preparing her for the upcoming Olympics in Paris which she is looking forward to.
“I Couldn’t Be More Proud of How I’m Doing This Time in the Year”
In an interview for NBC Sports, Biles explained she was
getting out here and getting comfortable and confident and hopefully going to Olympic trials and making that next step towards Paris
She added that she “couldn’t be more proud” of how she was doing, continuing to gain her “confidence over and over” and familiarize herself with performing in front of a crowd.
Biles, who is the most decorated gymnast in history, is hoping to make a comeback to the Olympics, the competition that had previously brought her the so-called “twisties” in 2020 in Tokyo.
The “twisties” refer to a mental block that causes a gymnast to lose track of her body position mid-air.
Biles was forced to withdraw from the Games due to her mental health.
Back to Having Fun
When asked if she is back to having fun with her gymnastics, Biles confirmed that “most of the time”, if she is not “stressing or having anxiety”, she is having fun, a feeling that she is glad to experience once again.
Biles marked her comeback to the world of gymnastics last year at the world championships, following her post-Tokyo two-year break.
She sealed her comeback with a historical performance after winning one silver medal and four gold medals, surpassing Belarusian Vitaly Scherbo’s record of 33 overall medals across the world championships and the Olympics.
The national championships represent the final step that US gymnasts have to take before the Olympic Trials that will take place toward the end of June.
The women’s team that will go to Paris 2024 will be selected once the Olympic Trials are over.
The winner of the all-around competition at the Trials will automatically make the team.
